Ranked: 15+ Of The Best (And Worst) Creamer Brands To Put In Your Morning Coffee
Although there are many ways a person could conceivably take their coffee, most people will use some form of creamer from time to time. It's common for coffee to taste a little bitter on its own, which has inspired a whole industry of creamers to help take that edge off.
However, creamers are secondary enough to the coffee experience that they're not really something most people would go out of their way to taste test. However, that doesn't mean they can't make a difference in the coffee experience, and those differences deserve to be compared. Where did your favorite rank?
BEST: Chobani
Although the company is primarily known for Greek yogurt, Chobani also offers a line of coffee creamers. As Tasting Table explained, cream is an end-product of their yogurt creation process anyway, so not turning it into a coffee creamer would be letting it go to waste.
However, that doesn't mean they slapped that cream into packages to make a quick buck. They add real sugar, real milk, and truly natural flavors in their caramel, sweet cream, vanilla, and hazelnut variations. No artificial flavors here!
WORST: Almond Breeze
Although almond milk is a fine foundation for a non-dairy creamer, there are better places to get such a product than through Almond Breeze. For one thing, a report by the Alabama Media Group suggests that other brands may also offer more almond content in their products.
That's because their parent company, Blue Diamond, settled a class action lawsuit in which it was found that only 2% of their products were made of actual almonds. The rest was water, sugar, the thickening agent carrageenan, and sunflower lecithin. For reference, other almond milk brands contain up to 30% almonds.
BEST: International Delight
International Delight may not be the most recognizable name on the coffee creamer market, but it has a reputation among coffee drinkers for being at the top of the line. And part of that comes from the smooth richness of their flavor options, which include such unique selections as Southern butter pecan, white chocolate raspberry, and Almond Joy.
According to Delish, reviews for their classic French vanilla flavor have been about as glowing, as it doesn't taste overly sweet and doesn't contain any sugar. Although it's not the only creamer that's friendly to people with diabetes, it's one of the best.
WORST: Market Pantry
In fairness to Target's house brand, Market Pantry coffee creamers are affordable options that are known to last pretty long on the shelf. It's also true that it's not going to introduce any unwanted aftertastes to coffee, and it's hard to find someone who actively dislikes it.
However, this is also part of the problem. Although Tasting Table describes its taste as a mild and unobtrusive flavor that gets as close to the bean as possible, that just makes it sound like it does so little that it would cost less just to get used to the taste of black coffee.
BEST: Califia Farms
Califia Farms is known for its oat milk, but it also produces a line of similarly dairy-free coffee creamers. And while oat milk is often known to be high in calories, the Food Network noted that this is not a problem this creamer's users have to worry about.
It's also just 15 calories and does not contain any hydrogenated oils or other artificial ingredients. As for how it tastes, its richness beats out many other oat-based creamers, especially if it's frothed before it's added to the coffee.
WORST: Dunkin Donuts Extra Extra
For some customers, the fact that Dunkin Donuts uses real cream in their Extra Extra creamer is a serious boon. After all, not everybody likes the mouthfeel of non-dairy creamers. However, Eat This, Not That warned that this isn't all that's in there.
In addition to containing artificial colors and flavors, the most concerning inclusion of the ingredients list is the thickening agent carrageenan. It's a potential carcinogen, but it's more immediately associated with negative effects on the immune system and the stomach's biotic makeup.
BEST: Elmhurst
According to Tasting Table, Elmhurst was primarily a dairy company for almost a century before it moved aggressively into the plant-based milk market in 2017. That also means the brand is known for its oat-based creamers, and it's hard to get better at it than them.
That's not just because their creamers taste good and come in bold flavors like chai spice and pistachio crème. In addition to being dairy-free, they're also vegan, kosher, and don't contain any GMOS, artificial ingredients, carrageenan, or gluten. Almost everyone can enjoy it!
WORST: Great Value
With budget products, the conventional wisdom states, "You get what you pay for." And based on Eat This, Not That's analysis, Great Value's coffee creamers are not an exception to that rule. The reason has to do with the load of artificial ingredients in it.
Although this creamer contains real sugar, the other main ingredients are just water and vegetable oil. Despite having real sugar, it also contains sucralose and corn syrup solids, so it's likely overly sweet to boot.
BEST: Laird Superfood
Although many people prefer liquid coffee creamers, Laird Superfood's powdered product is considered one of the best of its kind. According to Delish, it has amassed over 9,000 five-star reviews on Amazon and is particularly beloved by those who want a creamer without dairy or soy.
This plant-based creamer is vegan and an attractive option for those undergoing keto diets and those with sensitivities to gluten. However, none of that prevents it from adding a smooth, rich texture and taste to coffee. Just stir it well once it's added because it's prone to clumping.
WORST: Kirkland
The line of coffee creamers from Costco's house brand has some passionate fans, but they're likely to be even more disappointed in their search for it than those who aren't. That's because Costco's stores are strangely inconsistent about carrying this product despite it being part of their signature brand.
However, those who found it and didn't like it noted that despite having a gram of sugar more than competing brands like International Delight, it somehow tastes less sweet. It's also not particularly creamy, which seems to defeat the purpose of a coffee creamer.
BEST: Silk
When the Food Network tested out Silk's almond-based creamers, the first quality that came to mind was their smoothness. They also expected it to be heavy on the sweetness, but it wasn't overpowering in this respect.
Although the creamer was derived from almond milk, it felt rich and creamy enough that it felt like heavy cream or whole milk had been added instead. As this photo demonstrates, the coffee's color was also more aesthetically pleasing with Silk than with other almond-based creamers.
BEST: Nut Pods
Since Nut Pods has no sugar and is often unsweetened, dairy-free, and keto-friendly, it's hard not to get the impression that it's a brand that sacrifices taste for healthiness. However, the reviewers Delish noted felt differently, saying that it was as creamy and delicious as a dairy-based creamer.
Nut Pods also come in hazelnut, caramel, and French vanilla flavors, and they all seem to be a hit with consumers. Some have described it as a healthier way to achieve the mouthfeel of half-and-half.
WORST: So Delicious
Although it's nice to know that the So Delicious line of non-dairy creamers is vegan and GMO-free, it seems that this hasn't made their name any less of a misnomer. As tasty as the brand's other products might be, their creamers don't make enough of an impact to be "delicious."
According to Mashed, the coconut milk base doesn't add as much sweetness as it would appear. In fact, this creamer was described as having a weak flavor, if any. As one reviewer put it, "Was expecting it to do something other than change the color of my coffee."
BEST: Planet Oat
According to the Food Network, Planet Oat's creamers stand out for their rich taste and especially for their accuracy in each flavor. For instance, the coffee cake version indeed tastes like a freshly baked coffee cake.
With just one tablespoon of creamer, a customer's coffee takes on all the creamy texture and extra flavor they could ask for. The best part is that it doesn't even need frothing to bring these flavors out, which is often required for other oat milk brands.
WORST: Coffee Mate
Typically, coffee creamers exist to mute the harsher notes of coffee, which means they're typically not expected to have much nutritional value. Even with that in mind, however, one would generally expect them to be at least neutral to a person's health while it does a fairly simple job.
However, this is not true of Coffee Mate's line of creamers. They may attract some attention for their Coconut Crème and Cinnamon Toast Crunch flavors, but one of their most significant ingredients is hydrogenated vegetable oil. According to Mashed, this has led several European countries to ban Coffee Mate due to the elevated risk of diabetes, heart disease, strokes, and heart attacks.
BEST: Milkadamia
Although macadamia nuts are an uncommon foundation for milk, Milkadamia emerged as an industry leader in this niche market. And according to Tasting Table, they keep the nuts raw and don't dump any unneeded additives into their creamers.
Specifically, that means they're vegan, lactose-free, and GMO-free. And since the extract from macadamia nuts is already pretty creamy, they make for an ideal coffee creamer. Milkadamia creamers come in vanilla, unsweetened vanilla, cinnamon, and chai flavors.
BEST: Starbucks
Starbucks' Caramel Macchiato is one of the chain's more popular drinks, which means this creamer had big shoes to fill when it comes to matching its flavor. According to the Food Network, however, it managed to capture the flavor surprisingly well!
The creamer has a rich taste of buttery caramel with some notes of vanilla but manages not to be overly sweet in achieving that flavor. That said, anyone who's interested in trying this should be warned that it can be a little tricky to find.
